Acne – what are your options for acne clearance?

October 23, 2013 LasersadminComments Off

Acne – what are your options for acne clearance?

Acne is papular or pustular eruption that affects the face, chest and back. Acne can occur at any age, however. It’s more common in teens and often persists well into adulthood. Research indicates 15-20% of affected people will develop scarring from severe cases.

What happens to the skin during an infection?

The follicles become plugged with sebum production, Propionibacterium acnes and inflammation. There are multiple variants of acne: Acne excoriee (caused by patients due to manipulation – causing scarring and erosion of skin). Neonatal acne happens at birth, infantile acne, and Steroid acne – a comedonal and pustular acne that presents on the chest 2-5 weeks after taking a steroid.

Does diet affect acne?

The role of diet remains uncertain. However, consumption of diary and simple sugars has long been associated with causation.

Is acne hereditary?

There’s research to support acne runs in the family. Typically acne presents at a young age if someone in the family had acne as a child. If both parents have acne, there’s a greater than 70% chance their child will develop acne. Also, hyperandrogen states such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia or polycystic ovarian syndrome are known signs to cause acne.

How do I determine if the eruptions are acne?

Acne lesions typically divide into non-inflammatory or inflammatory. Inflammatory lesions are characterized by papules, pustules, and nodules (cysts). Non-inflammatory lesions consist of open blackheads (comedones) and whiteheads (closed comedones).

How do I treat acne?

If it all possible, medication should be used sparingly. Also consider, topical applications typically take 2 or more months to show efficacy. In addition, most treatments take continued use to “control” the condition. Remember, it’s not a cure. It’s important to know, scarring from acne warrants a systemic approach and you should consult your physician or dermatologist beforehand to determine the best possible treatment regimen. Strong medications like Isotretinoin (Claravis, Ammnesteem, Sotret) can be considered if you show no improvements. Again, it’s important to consult your physician.

Should I scrub my face and wash the acne away?

Your skin should be gently cleansed with mild soap and warm water. We recommend you do NOT scrub your skin. Apply topical agents after the skin has dried. All medications should be applied in a gentle manner to acne prone sites.

Which products are best for my skin?

Solutions and gels are better for oily skin, while creams and lotions are better for dry skin. Hair conditioners and oils should be avoided. We recommend all cosmetic products be oil free and water based. Remember DO NOT pick or pop acne lesions!

What products should I use for Blackheads and Whiteheads?

We recommend using products that gently exfoliate the epidermis (top layer of skin) and contain antibacterial properties (e.g. benzoyl peroxide). If used in combination with products that correct follicular plugging (e.g. tretinoin, tazarotene, adapalene). It’s important to rotate the application, one at night and the other in the morning. Over-the-counter medications like Retin-A are best for oily skin and range in strength 2.5 to 10%.

Additionally, facial peels (glycolici acid, salicylic acid) are recommended to unblock pores. Reminder, Tretinoin is has photosensitive side effects, consult your physician for what application best suits your condition.

Here at Maine Laser Clinic have seen fantastic results treating acne vulgaris with laser technology. Like any procedure, it’s always best to consult your physician before deciding on what’s best for your overall health.

How to remove a tattoo

August 26, 2013 LasersadminComments Off

How to remove a tattoo

Removing a tattoo requires dedication, time and due diligence on the clients part. There are limited options for tattoo removal. Here at Maine Laser Clinic we support and promote laser tattoo removal. The procedure is relatively fast and simple to perform, however. The body requires time to achieve the most important aspect of the process and that’s to flush the ink out of the dermis and slowly fade.

How is this done? The lymphatic system does most of the work. There are tiny macrophages that digest the broken ink particles and dispose of them naturally. How does the laser break up the ink? The light-energy (laser) targets the color super-heating the ink until it shatters. This all happens in milliseconds and even nanoseconds. Think of a glass hitting the floor, shards fly everywhere. Now imagine someone bending down and taking a hammer to the remaining pieces – you are left with thousands upon thousands of tiny fragments. The same principle applies to tattoo removal.

The laser shatters the ink and the body disposes of the remaining ink particles. People often wonder if the process is painful. In short, the answer depends on their tolerance to stimulus. The “pain” associated with laser tattoo removal stems from the byproduct of “heat” – causing collateral warming that influences nerve endings. For example, when a young child puts their hand close to a hot stove sensors send signals to the brain alerting the child to react, consequently pulling away and hopefully avoiding severe burning.

There are ways to manage discomfort by cooling the area with local anesthesia, or topical creams and even cooling machines like the Cryo by Zimmer. We’ve found the most effective method (without injecting patients) is to ice the area prior to treatment. It’s simple and it works.

People often reference buying creams to remove their tattoos. Caveat emptor! There are products on the market that use misleading marketing tactics. The only true way to remove a tattoo is excision or the use of a laser. If you’re like most people, having a large scar from excision is worse than the actual tattoo. Do your research. Know what to expect and ask others who have had similar procedures.

People have to be ready to answer one question, “how bad do I want this tattoo removed?” If you conclude you need it gone, then we highly recommend laser tattoo removal.

MAINELASERCLINIC

How to remove unwanted hair

August 21, 2013 LasersadminComments Off

How do you remove unwanted hair?

Before answering that question it’s important to note the different methods used to remove unwanted hair. It’s also important to note there’s only one true way to “remove” unwanted hair. Electrolysis is the only proven method to permanently remove unwanted hair. However, there are many factors that hinder the efficacy of electrolysis such as, hormonal change, childbirth and genetics. In addition, it’s important to make the distinction between, permanent hair removal, and permanent hair reduction. Most methods offered today through various marketing channels promote permanent hair reduction. Those methods include: Laser hair removal, Intense pulsed light, and Diode epilation.

Before we go any further, we have to provide you with more background into the field of hair removal. When lasers were initially introduced for dermatology and aesthetic applications in the 90’s it was one device for each application. Unfortunately, most of those devices had serious limitations. For example, the GentleLase Alexandrite laser was a good technology for hair removal on white skin and some pigmented lesions, but really nothing else as it is very dangerous on dark and tan skin. The V-Beam laser was also introduced in 90sand is a good classic technology for red facial vessels but produces in many cases severe swelling and can lead to purpura.

The Medlite C6 and Medlite II (introduced approximately in the 2002 -2005 range) are diode lasers for hair removal that work well on white skin but are very painful. The Cutera Cool Glide (released in 2003) is the classic long pulsed Nd:YAG for hair removal (painful), vascular applications and photorejuvenation treatments. As new technology was developed, practitioners were buying different devices one-by-one to round out their service offerings and some have ended up owning multiple laser/IPL/RF devices.

Maine Laser Clinic uses the LightPod Neo which is the best technology on the market for pain-free high efficacy hair removal, that also allows the treatment of dark and tan skin including PFB, facial vessels and rosacea. The technology also provides a pain-free experience for photorejuvenation with skin tightening, and the treatment of nail fungus and tattoo removal. In fact the technology employed by Maine Laser Clinic also works really well treating most non-ablative applications or at least as good as any other competing technology on the market.

Laser hair removal is a complicated market, but in short form choosing a method that is virtually painless, cost efficient and produces results should factor in your decision when shopping for a reputable hair removal provider. Maine Laser Clinic lasers are the only high powered, air cooled, fully portable devices that don’t hurt the patient during treatment on the market. Every other device that is similarly powerful (an important distinction) is large, water cooled, painful, expensive and can’t be moved.

Doing your research is definitely important but you need to make sure you are speaking with people who are knowledgeable and have a base line to compare to. We recently read on a competitors website that someone in the Southern Maine area uses the E-Matrix for hair removal, which is surprising as E-Matrix it is not a laser but a Radio Frequency Device for skin improvement so there is a mismatch on the science between technology and application and the manufacturer does not list hair removal as an application on the product page making it even more skeptical. We are not saying it’s impossible, but highly suspect.

The best way to learn and differentiate the lasers is to speak to practitioners that are successful and have used a variety of technologies (which we will happily connect you to), see the device your self in person and have someone with some kind of technical insight to provide guidance (a friend, a colleague, or an advisor).

We hope you found this information useful in your quest to rid yourself of unwanted hair. We are always willing and able to speak at length about hair removal and look forward to your inquiries.

MAINLASERCLINIC

A post shared by Maine Laser Clinic & Spa (@mainelaserclinic) on May 9, 2017 at 11:22am PDT

Create a Healthy Lifestyle

June 6, 2013 Daily Health TipsadminComments Off

Create a Healthy Lifestyle

Eating the right foods and the right amounts of foods can help you live a longer, healthier life. Research has proven that many illnesses—such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure—can be prevented or controlled by eating right. Getting the nutrients you need, such as calcium and iron, and keeping your weight under control can help. Try to balance the calories you get from food with the calories you use through physical activity (select for more information about physical activity). It is never too late to start eating right. Here are some helpful tips.

Eat a variety of food, especially:

Fruits. Choose citrus fruits or juices, melons, and berries.

Dry beans (such as red beans, navy beans, and soybeans), lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts.

Whole grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, corn, and barley.

Whole grain breads and cereals.

Eat foods low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, especially:

Fish.

Poultry prepared without skin; lean meat.

Low-fat dairy products.

Weight Control

Weighing too much or too little can lead to health problems. After age 45, many people gain too much weight. You can control your weight by eating healthy foods and being physically active. For more information, select the next section, “Physical Activity.”

Ask your health care professional:

What is a healthy weight for me?

What are some ways I can control my weight?

Keep track of your weight. Use your personal prevention chart.

Physical Activity

Research shows that physical activity can help prevent at least six diseases: heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity (excess weight), diabetes, osteoporosis, and mental disorders, such as depression. Physical activity also will help you feel better and stay at a healthy weight. Research suggests that brisk walking can be just as good for you as an activity such as jogging. Try to do a total of 30 minutes of constant physical activity, such as fast walking, most days of the week.

Before you start being physically active:

Talk with your doctor about ways to get started.

Choose something that fits into your daily life, such as walking, gardening, raking leaves, or even washing windows.

Choose an activity you like, such as dancing or swimming.

Try a new activity, like biking.

Ask a friend to start with you, or join a group.

Don’t quit:

Make time for physical activity, start slowly, and keep at it.

If the weather is bad, try an exercise show on TV, watch an exercise tape in your home, walk in the mall, or work around the house.

Aftercare instructions for tattoo removal

May 12, 2013 Daily Health TipsadminComments Off

AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS for tattoo removal

Proper aftercare is necessary to prevent infection, skin texture change, or other unwanted side effects. When you visit us at Maine Laser Clinic, we will give you aftercare instructions to take home after your treatment. Tattoo removal is a relatively simple outpatient procedure, but we take care to inform you of the important steps you can take to achieve a great result.

The laser tattoo removal treatment creates a superficial skin wound. Some patients may experience bruising or swelling. There is immediate whitening of the treated area, which usually lasts for several minutes. Many clients then develop blisters, crusts, or scabs within 8 to 72 hours, which may last for 1 to 2 weeks or more. The treated areas may be pink or pale after the scab separates. Scarring, which can be hypertrophic or even keloid, can occur but is exceptionally rare. Reduced or excess skin pigment in the treated area can occur, and is temporary except in very rare cases. Healing is usually complete within 4 weeks, although this may vary.

Steps to Follow

Keep the treated area clean and dry while it is healing. Clean the area gently with soap and water and then pat the area dry. You may apply a thin coating of antibiotic ointment up to three times a day for 3 days while the area is healing and you should keep the area covered with a sterile dressing for those 3 days.
Blistering is common and is likely to occur 8 hours after your treatment. Do not be alarmed, blisters heal very well and are part of the normal healing process. Blisters indicate your immune system is healing the area and beginning to remove the ink from your tattoo. It is natural for blisters to pop, and this helps the skin to heal faster in many cases. Continue to put antibiotic ointment over the blisters once they have popped for at least 24 hours.
You may apply cool compresses as necessary for 24 hours after the laser treatment to help reduce discomfort and inflammation. You may take plain Tylenol, but avoid aspirin (it can increase the risk of bruising and/or bleeding.)
Do not pick at the scab or allow the skin to become scraped, as this may result in infection and scarring. Shaving should be avoided in the treated area until it is completely healed.
Feel free to shower 2 hours after the treatment, but take care to avoid high pressure water hitting the treated area. Baths, hot tubs, swimming pool, or any form of soaking are not recommended until all blistering and scabbing are completely healed, as they may increase the risk of infection.
Exercise is generally safe after treatment, taking into account the other aftercare instructions provided here.
Wear a sun block with an SPF of 25 or higher over the area for 3 months following the treatment. Do not wear makeup or any cream or medication on or near the treated area unless recommended by our office for 48 hours.
Itching is very common due to the dehydrating effect of the laser treatment. Use Aquaphor, vitamin E ointment, or hydrocortisone cream to keep the treatment area moisturized.
If the area looks infected (honey colored crusting and oozing or spreading redness), if you experience an unusual discomfort or bleeding, if any other complications develop, or if you have any questions or concerns, contact New Look immediately.
Of course, if you have any extreme reaction, seek immediate medical attention.